Egyptian Arabic

Leo lands in Cairo and his friend Karim is waiting with his sister Salma: welcome, hello, how are you, fine thank God, this is my sister, nice to meet you, the pleasure is mine, let's go.

Night on the ring road in Karim's car, Salma in the back: are you tired, I'm not tired, a little hungry, do you understand Arabic, I don't understand, slowly please, this isn't Heliopolis yet.

Madame Nadia opens the door of the flat in Heliopolis: good evening and its answer, the polite you to an elder, my name is, nice to meet you, come in, thank you Madame.

Karim shows Leo the flat in Heliopolis: this is the kitchen, this is your room, where's the bathroom, there and here, the balcony is beautiful, good night and its answer.

Uncle Mahmoud comes home late from the shop: welcome my son, good evening Uncle Mahmoud, where are you from, I'm from America, from Chicago, are you from Cairo, from here, Cairo is beautiful.

Breakfast with Madame Nadia in Heliopolis: do you want tea, yes please, with sugar, a little sugar, bread and cheese, eggs too, I want tea too, the breakfast is delicious.

Sayed the doorman greets Leo on his first morning in Heliopolis: good morning and its answer, engineer, how are you politely, where are you going, Downtown with Karim, goodbye and its answer.

Karim reads his phone number digit by digit and Leo writes it down: slowly please, zero one zero, again please, the numbers from zero to ten, and what's your number.

Madame Nadia's family photographs: who's this, Karim small, Grandma in the village, do you have brothers and sisters, I have a sister, she's in Chicago, I don't have a brother, I have a son and a daughter.

Salma before work, Madame Nadia at the table: you're an engineer, yes I'm an engineer, old houses, I'm a guide at the museum, the Egyptian Museum is beautiful, an Arabic teacher, a fabric merchant, Karim's an engineer too.

Leo and Karim take the metro from Heliopolis to Attaba: a ticket please, fifteen pounds, how many stops, line three, twelve stops, the numbers eleven to twenty, and the next station in Standard Arabic.

Leo and Karim eat koshary Downtown: two koshary please, big with a little hot sauce, delicious, Egyptian food, the bill, sixty pounds, a hundred-pound note, and the tens from twenty to a hundred.

Leo stops at a juice stand Downtown: do you want juice, mango juice please, a big glass, how much, twenty-five pounds, sugarcane is cheap, this is expensive, and the mango is sweet and cold.

Karim brings Leo to Grandma's old house in al-Darb al-Ahmar for the first time: this is Leo my friend, welcome my son, how are you politely, the house is old, the house is beautiful, the roof, the window, come in, tea.

Leo is lost in the lanes near Bab Zuweila and asks a woman the way: excuse me where is, go straight, turn right, turn left, is it far, near, five minutes, there, the big gate, a thousand thanks, you're welcome, goodbye.

Leo takes a taxi to Tahrir in the afternoon traffic: Tahrir please, traffic, what time is it, three o'clock, half past three, four God willing, I'm late, half an hour God willing.

Salma gives Leo a free hour at the Egyptian Museum: welcome to the museum, you work here, I work here every day, what is this, an old king, do you speak English, I speak English and French, I speak a little Arabic.

Leo and Karim sit down at a cafe: tea or coffee sir, coffee please, plain or medium, medium, and you, mint tea please, right away, backgammon, yes.

Leo has a headache and a sore throat from the dust and goes to the pharmacy on the corner: good evening, can I help, my head hurts, do you have a fever, my throat hurts too, pills, one twice a day, after food, get well, and its answer.

Leo shops at the grocer's in Heliopolis for Madame Nadia's kitchen: a kilo of tomatoes please, anything else, half a kilo of cucumbers and a bottle of water, a bag, all together how much, ninety-five pounds, a hundred, the change.

Thursday evening at the Mansours' table: what day is today, tomorrow is Friday, Friday is lunch at Grandma's, every Friday, the whole family, Saturday is work, and the days of the week.

A Friday morning taxi from Heliopolis to al-Darb al-Ahmar with Uncle Mahmoud: by the meter, is there traffic, no traffic, Cairo is asleep, here is fine, how much, eighty pounds, keep the change, no problem.

The whole family at Grandma's door in al-Darb al-Ahmar on Friday: peace be upon you and its answer, welcome to you all, how are you all, we're fine, come in all of you, sit down, and the plural you.

Friday lunch at Grandma's table: in God's name, eat my son, what's this, molokhia and stuffed vine leaves, taste, delicious, I like it, more, I'm full, bless your hands and its answer.

The old house after lunch: two hundred years old, the roof is old, a crack in the wall, the wood is old but beautiful, the wooden screen window, how old are you, twenty-nine, eighty-two, and the hundreds.

Tea on Grandma's roof with Salma: do you love Egypt, I love Egypt a lot, and the molokhia, Salma loves the museum, do you love tea, I love tea on the roof, me too, God keep you.

The Nile Corniche at dusk with Karim and Salma: the Nile is very beautiful, Cairo is very noisy but beautiful, lots of people on a Friday evening, a little tired, the weather is nice, very nice.

Leo's drawings on the Heliopolis table: the drawings are beautiful, look, the house needs a new roof, the wall needs a lot of work, how many months, three months, a month isn't enough, God willing.

Sayed on the stairs with the shopping: may I help you, no, you are a guest, can I have a taxi tomorrow at seven, possible God willing, you speak Arabic, little by little, well done.

The Heliopolis table at the end of the month: a month isn't enough, you must stay, the winter with us, and my work in Chicago, the house, we must work, our house is your house, then I stay, God willing, settled.